Game apparatus



March 5, 19,29. i G.' LITTLEFIELD 1,704,517

'I GAME APPARATUS- Fled Aug. 22, 1927 Patented Mar.. 5, 1929.

UNET@ rara if oALviN e, -LITTLEFIiiLn oneiiniicon, iLLrNois.

' f ,GAME APPARATUS.'

Appiication fuefi Augustee, i927. serial no.l euses.

This invention relates to game apparatus of the'sort described' and claimed in my U.

S. APatentfNo. 1,642,119 granted v'September A 13, 1927. The apparatus is oneadaptedV for the playingof various games, such as' those customarily'played with playing cards, and

it is devised particularly for the purpose' lof such as 'the gainel of ivhist.

Yet another fobj'ect is the. provision of a device for the uses indicated above, vv'which accommodates the playing'zof hands involving. any card combination possible in the game.

vand which is equipped and qualified to 'facilitate the keeping of accurate records or 'data indicative 'of the sequences in which the cards constituting av given hand are played,

said record affording a'co'nven'ient-and instructive basis' for comparisonof the various "paratus' having the characteristics afore-l methods of play. Y Another Objectis the provisionof an apmentioned in aform contributing toy economy in vproduction and facility andA convenience yin manipulation.

' i Other and' furtherobjects'ivill be pointed out or indicated hereinafter, or will appear to one skilled in the art .upon an understandingof the'iinvention Vor its employment in'use. vIn j the drawingforming apart'of this speciiication,1 illustrate one embodiment of the invention and .various detailsthereof, butr asf-*these are presented for purpose of illus-' tration only, it is to zbe lunderstood that they are notto be given any interpretation' calculated to limit the claimsy short of the nother object s the .provisionof a device having the characteristics mentioned above true and most comprehensive scope of the invention Vin the'art. In said drawing,

the invention;

Fig. 1 is a top vieu of a device embodying- Fig. 2 is atop view of a portion ofone formof indicator; v v .Fig 3 isa perspective view-of'another'indicator portion; f

Fig. 4L is va section on Fig. 6 isa perspective View v'illustrating be arranged.

'As is Well known, various card games,`, such as auction bridge, offer great variety in themake-up'of possible card combinations' in hands, and also great variation in vthe sequences inWhich the'cards of ahand may be played. VF or purposes of studyv o r instruction or the Working out of problems, it is desirable/to make comparisons of the va--v one position 7in Whichthe indicators'may rious methods ofsequence in which the cards H of a hand may be played, thefobject being, of course,- toV determine the'method in which a hand may be yplayedto the best advantage yvvitha given distribution.of cards among the several handsinvolved'in the playing, The

` pi;' e sent invention provides a device' Whereby V such comparisons maybe made vvith facility, the operation 'of' the device corre# spending in `essentials to the normal mafnipu lations-intheV playing of ahand and afford.

in@P facilitiesffor the vmaking of accurate recs or data indicative ofthe play, such apyparatus"being operable -by an individual or by a number of persons in such fashionas to aii'orda convenient means of study or instruction. f l l f Referring Vto the` killustrative `embodiments shovvnin the dravving,.leti't be understood `thatthe reference A'numeral 10 Vdesignatesa suitable support, in the naturek of aboard, Whichisadapted to vrest flat upon atable'- and serving as asupport or mounting for a ,Fig 5 1s a perspect-,ii'fe'y view of another .j -fornrof indicatorgand Y I number of indicators.' The indicators, in the I `form'illustrated in FigsQl, 2,3v and 6,"eacli comprisea link portion 11," leaf portion 12 `,and token. portion' 14. rlhe leaf portion 12 hinge mounting on the link portion 11, and

the token portion 14 is adapted to be mounted on Vthe leaf 12 by being slipped into they pocket. The severall indicators are mounted in collateral relationship on a rod or'Wire 15, the ends ot the link portions 11 being looped around the rod so that the indicators may swing thereon through a'vertical arc.

The ends of the rod 15'are retained in niountings 16 Which rest on top of strips of metal, vthe end portions of Which extend to form the spring clips 17, the mountings andv strips being secured to the board by screws 18. The tokens Mbear-markings designa- 1 tive ot' the respective cards with which' the gaine is played and when the indicators are in the position ofv the onemarked X in Fig. 1, said markings are exposed. This position of the indicator. will hereafter bere- Aferred to as the hand, position.` By svving'- ing the vlink portion 11 of an indicator across the rod 15 and keeping tlieindicator marking up, the indicator is Vmoved to the played position,which is that occupied by the indicator designated Y in Fig. 1. Then by swinging the linkof an indicator Vback across lthe'rod 15-'an'd swinging the leaf portion to an inverted position, the indicator is moved to the turned position, which is thatv occupied by theindicator designated Z in Fig. 1. In these several positions, the indicators lie upon the .board 10, the card markings being exposed in both the hand and played positions, but being concealed in the turned position. y

The device as above described is designed to constitute one of a set, the -set including as many as there are hands employed in the playing of the particular game under vcon-V sideration; for example, for the gameA of auction bridge, four of the vdevices Willconstitute'a set. If the game is being played by ay number of persons, as4 for example,

a player for each hand, it may be desirable that the card markings of each hand be concealedV from the players having the other hands." This may be accomplished by placingthe indicators in the position illustrated in' Fig. 6,'Wherein their free ends rest upon the board and the card markings are visible from only oneside of the board. From such position the indicatorsinay lbe turned Vto the played position as desired.

Record sheets are provided for association with the'indicators, one of said record sheets This record sheet being illustrated at l18.

I "is inthe form of a strip lofpaper,ofthe like and when inserted under the kspring clips 17,. is retained flat upon the board 10 in a position underlying the indicators When they Vare in their hand position.V This record sheet v is ruledl o intovcolumns parallel With the Vindicators, the columns-being,allotted to rey spective indicators. `Therrecord strip may also be ruledy longitudinally to provide a plurality of entry spaces. Inv the column allocated to each indicatorv is marked the'car'd designation borne by the indicator, as shown by Way of example in the column associated With the indicator Y in Figi 1.

The token portions, as characterized by their markings, constitute a full deck Jfor the gamewhich is to be played. They may be distributedy to the 'respective handsby a blind deal, or, in instances for study or instruction, in accordance With a prearranged distribution. rSuch prearranged vhands may have the card designations printed on the record sheets in accordance,

with tlie predeterminedA distribution -V and serve as a guide for the proper vrassortment of the tokenvportions into vtherespective the respective indicators being moved from y the hand position to the playedipositilon incident to the playing of the respective tricks,

and then moved tothe turned position at the conclusion of the trick. Thereupon, for making the record, `the entryis madein the entry space allocated` tol the indicator, to indicate the trick 'in which the indicator was played. For example, the numbert 1 'in the entry space under the indicator Z indicates that that indicator Was played in the first y trick, While the number 2 in the entry space allocatedto vthe vindicator Y indicatesgthat that indicator was played in the second trick, said number` `being circumscribedby a v circle to indicate thatthe trick Was taken by the-card to Whichthe namely the king. of hearts. Attera hand has beeny played throughy in this fashion, the indicators may' all be restored to they hand position, andthe playv repeated, as

:tor thek purpose of determining vvhatl'dit-v ferent results Would be obtained by playing entry pertains,

llO

the cards in a diierent sequence. VFor such second trial, appropriateentries areV made on the record sheet, asmay'also be the case -vvith a third or :tourthtrial` `Asma result,

therefore, When the various trials havey been finished, the record sheets Will contain' delinite data as to the several sequences yof play in the several trialsand the numbery of tricks taken With y the respective hands or therekspective cards, from Whichl an informative) comparison may be made for determining the most advantageous'l sequenceV of play.` l The spring clips-17 are adapted for the. holding of additionalrecord strips in association with the indicators so that entriesthereon may be made in similar fashion for additional trials.

In F ig. 5 is illustrated an alternate form of indicator, wherein the token portion and leaf portion are combined as an element detachable from the link portion l1, said element having a resilient clip portion c which may be sprung onto or off ofthe llink portion to permit the interchanging of the elements in accordance with diierent dis-A tributions. v

What I claim is:

l. Game apparatus comprising` the 'combi-v cators.

bination of; a board, arodmounted on same,

f, 3. 'In game apparatus, the combination of la board, a rod, indicators 'having swinging` movement on the rod in collateralrelationship, mountings securing the rodv to the board, and springLclips retained by `the inountings invcooperation With the board.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name.

f @ALVINv G. LITTLEFIELD.

vlinks hinged on the rod in collateral assof Vciation, leaf portions hinged on respective links and tokens carried* by the leaf por-j `tions With their tops toward the links.

. s 2o 2. Game apparatus comprising the com- Y 

